Dreams and Secrets
by KelsiMellark
Summary: Katniss never finds out when Peeta is having a nightmare. How will she calm him down when he does? One-shot Post MJ but Pre-Epilouge. Reviews are welcome.


A/N: Hey guys! It has been too long since I wrote a one-shot. I just can't control my feels after watching Catching Fire. It made me re-read the book! As always reviews are welcome. And of course The Hunger Games series is still Suzanne Collins' work, not mine.

Thrashing around their bed is not helping… and Katniss is too restless to care if she wakes Peeta up. It's 2:30 am and sleep still refuses to take her away. It's not that she had another nightmare, no, not tonight. She just can't seem to find it in her to finally fall asleep. So instead of rolling one more time, she got up from the bed and felt for her slippers. Maybe a glass of milk would not be such a bad idea right now.

Peeta woke up with cold sweat on his body. His blond locks mopped up all over his forehead, face red as a tomato and blue eyes looking disoriented as ever.

"Peeta?" Katniss looked at her husband with concern written all over her face. Peeta in return lets out a heavy sigh.

"Katniss, you're here…" Peeta replied still trying to even out his breathing.

"Why? What happened?" Katniss quickly put down the glass filled with milk on the bedside table as she reached for Peeta's hand.

"It was a dream… a nightmare. We were at the meadow and we were laughing when all of a sudden you took off." The worry in Katniss' eyes never left as she patiently waited for him to continue.

"I called after you but it was like you couldn't hear me, so I chased you. Finally, I saw you…and Gale. And I knew you chose him. I had no one else. Not even Haymitch sees me." She couldn't think of anything else to say so instead she just pushed all of the hair out of his blue eyes. What else is there to say? Gale was long gone. He chose to live ten districts away. Katniss on the other hand has been married to Peeta for almost a year now.

"You know I'll never leave you Peeta. This," She gestured all over their room and finally kissed the top of Peeta's head "is all I want and more."

"I know that, I just… I panicked. I didn't see you and I called your name, maybe you didn't hear me. I was afraid it came true and I thought I was going to have another episode."

"Hey, it's not real okay? And don't worry… next time; I'll keep in mind to wake you up if I'm going to get a glass of milk." At her comment, Peeta instantly smiled and pulled his wife closer to his heart.

"How about we try another shot at sleep?" He suggested after a few moments. As the two get settled in, Peeta laughed inwardly at himself. After all this time, his nightmares were still about losing her which he was confident that will never come true. His eyes were almost dropping when she spoke.

"Peeta?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to know a secret?" He smiled a signature smiled only reserved for her.

"So now we are sharing the deep stuff?" He replied with a hint of teasing on his voice.

"Well not if you don't want to. I mean I can just sleep and make you over think it." Katniss replied with the same tone in her voice. By then, she was already meeting his gaze.

"Tell me." Was his simple reply as he kissed the top of her head.

"I made up my mind a long time ago." Instantly, Peeta's brows furrowed.

"About what?"

"Back when we were at the beach in the arena. I already knew I can never let you go. All those time at the beach, those were all real." Peeta smiled to himself as he caressed Katniss' arm to signal her to continue.

"Looking back, I think I loved you even before then. I think it started during the victory tour. I just didn't have it in me to admit it… until I lost the chance to." She gently buried her face further into his chest. She knew she was home the moment she smelled the distinct aroma of flour.

"Timing was never your forte, love. The point is you we're here. Together." All of this was too much. The hunger Katniss felt in the cave and the beach was always there nowadays. The only difference is she's no longer guilty for her feelings.

"I love you so much, Peeta Mellark."

"and I love you too, Katniss Mellark. Always."

This is how it will always be for them. The love the promises rebirth in spite of all the destruction will be the fire that will burn in them. Like dandelions in the spring, two people who will continue to grow side by side with love that is eternal until the end of time.


End file.
